Offer of free teacher for OCC hits bump

A deal that could increase the number of respiratory therapists in Southern California has hit a momentary snag, as administrators and teachers in the Coast Community College District have differed on how to represent a free instructor on loan from a nearby hospital.

Last fall, the Memorial Care hospital group, which operates five sites in and around Orange County, approached the district with a deal to help increase the number of respiratory specialists in the area. Memorial Care would provide an employee to function as an instructor at OCC, with the aim of expanding the program’s capacity to 40 students from 28.

The teachers union and the district have expressed support for the program, which was originally set to begin this month. However, the deal is still on the negotiating table.

The union wants the hospital employee to receive the same representation as other district staffers, while administrators want to handle the instructor — who would be provided to the district free of charge — as an outside figure.

“The sticking point on this whole issue is representation for the faculty,” said Dean Mancina, president of the Coast Federation of Educators. “It is outsourcing faculty positions. We’ve never had this in our district. Every faculty member, no matter how much or how little they teach, is represented by labor. These would be the only faculty in the district with no union representation.”

Kevin Ballinger, the dean of OCC’s consumer and health sciences division, said he and other district employees were dubious about union representation for the Memorial instructor, since he or she would have a salary and benefits covered by the hospital. But Ballinger said he expected the matter to be resolved in time to start the program in the current school year.

“We’ve had some positive sessions with the union,” he said. “I think we’re very close.”

The program was originally designed to begin this month, but the district’s board of trustees voted, 2-2, on the matter on Wednesday, with board member Walt Howald absent. Staff assistant Nancy Hill said the board would likely revisit the issue soon.

According to the California Employment Development Department website, there are an average of 50 job openings for respiratory therapists in Orange County each year.

Dave Calder, the executive director for respiratory care services at Memorial, said he had sought an agreement with OCC because of a chronic shortage of respiratory specialists at his group’s hospitals. Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian officials said they have not experienced a shortage of respiratory care technicians at the Newport Beach hospital, spokeswoman Rachel Quizon said.

Memorial has had a long relationship with OCC, offering internships and on-site training for healthcare students. For the moment, Calder said, he was ready for the district and union to work through the technicalities.

“We’re just waiting on this decision before we can take our next step,” he said.

— Amanda Pennington

contributed to this story.